A Curtis Christmas
by Animated Innovation
Summary: There are many Christmas traditions all around the world. With a Christmas loaded with grief, sorrow, laughter, joy, and family, will the Curtis Christmas traditions survive?
1. Shopping

**December 21****st****, 4 days till Christmas**

The streets were crowded with Christmas shoppers, jostling and bumping into each other, and right in the middle of them… Dallas Winston?

But yes, Dallas was amid the Christmas shoppers, wishing he'd done his shopping earlier, like Darry was bragging he'd done.

His temper was rising. The next person who bumped into him would land straight on their butt. Luckily for the shoppers, it was then Dallas saw the store he was heading for: _Thurston's Thrift Store. _It was well known for being cheap. There was a lot of junk you had to go through, but it was cheap. Not that Dally really cared about the price.

He entered the store, and the bell above the door rang to signal a customer had arrived. It was packed full of junk filled boxes, and smelled like a musty basement. Even though it was the Christmas season, the store was empty. No one had time to go through all the boxes.

The store owner, Barry Thurston, peaked around the boxes. When he saw who it was, he turned right back around. Dallas still looked pissed from the crowds.

Then Dallas went to work going through boxes. The first box wasn't all that good, but he found something for Steve in the next one. It was a car magazine. Perfect.

The next ten boxes were all a flop, but then he found a box with presents for Two-Bit and Pony. For Two-Bit, a ratty old Micky Mouse shirt, and for Pony, an ornate switch-blade. It was about time the kid got his first switch.

He went through the next box, and found a football for Darry, and then in the next box was an Elvis record for Soda.

But the one person he couldn't find something for was Johnny. He went through just about every box in the store. He knew exactly what he wanted to get him, but he couldn't find one anywhere.

Finally he took the chance of going to the front of the store to ask Barry. It was a chance, because if Barry did find it, Dal would have to pay for everything.

He found Barry in the back room.

"Em, sorry, employees only."

"I'm looking for a jean jacket. You got one or not?"

"Yes, actually I do. I, eh, just need to find it."

He scurries out of the room, and Dallas follows.

Barry's going through boxes, as quick as he can. He's downright nervous.

Finally, he pulled out a jacket. "Ah-ha! Here we go. That will be 7 dollars, please."

If Dallas had been drinking water, he would have done a spit-take. "What?!"

Barry shrugged. "This took a while to find you know. Time is money. Besides, where are you going to find another one?"

Dallas glared at him and grabbed the jacket, and put it with all his other stuff. Then he grabbed Barry by the shirt.

"Listen, I have been searching for this junk for hours, you're lucky I'm not just taking it. Now, I'll give you 5 dollars for the whole load, not a penny more. Got it?"

Barry gave a weak smile. "Would you like that gift wrapped?"

Dallas scowled, dropped him, took the stuff, and left the money on the counter.

"Merry Christmas!" Barry called after him.

It took all of Dally's willpower not to go back and throttle the guy.

Dallas went back out to the jostling crowds thinking, "Next year, I do my Christmas shopping early."


	2. A trip to Santa

**December 22****nd****, 3 days till Christmas**

"Hey!" Two-Bit said, storming into the house, towing his little sister behind him. "I need someone to come with me. I'm taking my little sister to see Santa Claus."

Everyone just stared at him. Finally, Pony just summed up what they were thinking. "What are you wearing?"

Two-Bit was wearing a floppy, disproportioned, green knit sweater, with a bunch of what looked to be reindeer on the front.

Two-Bit just grimaced. "Kathy decided to pick up knitting. She promised to keep me in Christmas sweaters all season. So, who wants to help me take Karen to see Santa?"

No one was quick to volunteer. To say the least, Karen was somewhat of a brat. She pouted and threw tantrums when she didn't get her way, and she had a nasty habit of kicking people in the shins.

Pony finally stood up. "I'll come."

"Great! Let's go!" They took off to Two-Bit's car.

"Two-Bit!" screeched the 6-year-old Karen, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

"But I want to be there now!" She yelled, kicking at the car seat.

The rest of way wasn't that much more pleasant. Let's just say Two-Bit and Pony were happy when they finally got there.

As soon as she was out of the car, Karen went bolting for the mall.

"Karen!" Two-Bit called, running after her. Grumbling, Pony ran after them.

After 5 minutes of chasing, Pony finally caught her.

"Hey! Put me down!" She yelled, kicking him in the shins.

"Ouch!" Needless to say, he dropped her.

Quick, Two-Bit grabbed her hand, before she could make another break for it. "Let's go see Santa, Karen."

With that, Karen jumped up and down . "Yay, Santa, Santa, SANTA!" She dragged Two-Bit behind her in her rush.

Pony boy sighed, and rushed after them… again.

Karen pulled them to the front of the long line of kids, shouting "Santa, Santa!"

"Now, now, little girl," said an elf, in one of the worst costumes Pony had ever seen. "You must wait your turn at the back of the line."

"But I want to see Santa now!" Karen whined.

"Well, all these other boys and girls want to see Santa too," replied the elf.

Karen was really getting her brat on now. "But I want to see him, I want to see him!"

"Look, you have to wait your turn, and if you don't, I'll have to tell Santa you've been a naughty girl, and he'll put you on his naughty list. Then all you'll get for Christmas is coal, so get to the back of the line you little brat!" The spat the last lines at Karen viciously.

With that, Karen started to cry. You might be feeling sorry for her right now, but everyone who knew her, knew she was faking. Everyone except Two-Bit, evidently.

"Look what you did! You can't talk to her like that!" He bent down to Karen. "She didn't mean it." He turned back to the elf. "Now, you'll gonna take that back, or else."

Before Pony could stop him, Two-Bit whipped out his switch.

"Security!"

XXXXXXX

Ponyboy could not believe his luck. Before Two-Bit had been dragged out, he'd begged Ponyboy to wait in line with Karen. After all that, Two-Bit still expected him to take Karen to sit on Santa's knee.

"Where's Two-Bit?" Karen pouted.

"He's, uh, visiting with the nice policemen right now, and he'll be back later."

"But I want Two-Bit!"

"Well Two-Bit's not here."

"But,"

"Hey, look," Pony cut her off. "It's our turn next."

With that Karen brightened. "Yay!"

Once the kid had gotten off Santa's lap, Karen rushed up. But then, Santa got up, and put up a sign that said "Sorry, Santa will be back in one hour."

"Wha, wha, what!" Pony sputtered.

"Hey!" Karen shouted. "Where's Santa going?"

"Well little girl," said the same elf as before, "Santa needs a break every now and then."

"But I want to see him!"

"Well, you're just going to have to wait a little longer."

Fed up with Karen the brat and Two-Bit the stupid, this horrible elf was the last straw for Pony.

"That is it. Hey you!" Pony yelled at the Santa. "Stop right there!"

Surprised, the Santa stopped. Ponyboy marched up to him, a shocked Karen in tow.

"Look," Ponyboy said, "I am just about fed up. I've had to put up with my friend's little sister, my stupid friend, and your rude little elf. I have had it up to here with everything! So you're going to sit back down in that chair, and you're going to listen to everything this little girl wants for Christmas. Got it?"

"Security!"

XXXXXXX

"Hey, a Ma," Two-Bit was using Ponyboy's phone call. "Uh, yeah, there was a little problem with the whole Santa thing. So, the deal is, can you come bail us out? Yeah, Karen's here to. No, No! She's playing with the officer's hand cuffs. Yeah, thanks Ma. See you soon."

Two-Bit hung up, and gave thumbs-up to Pony. "She's on her way."

XXXXXXX

Mrs. Mathew's marched into the place, looking very unhappy. "I'm here to pick up my kids." She told the officer briskly.

"Mommy!" Shouted Karen, running up to her mother.

"Okay, which one's yours?"

"That one, the short one."

Pony looked up. "Me?"

"Yes, sweetie, come on. I'll bail you out this time."

"But what about,"

"Yes, I have Karen. Let's go."

The officer opened the cell and let Pony out.

"But Ma!" Two-Bit cried. "What about me!"

Mrs. Mathews eyed him critically. "My son wouldn't threaten an elf in front of his little sister. I'm afraid you'll have to spend the night here. Let's go kids."

Pony followed Mrs. Mathews outside to her car.

"Um, what was that all about…"

Mrs. Mathews smiled at him. "Thank you for taking Karen to see Santa. Don't worry about Keith. I'll get him later. Just letting him learn his lesson."

They got in the car and started puttering down the road.

"So," Mrs. Mathews asked Pony, "Whose turn is it to take Karen next year?"

Pony smirked. "Steve's."

"Well let's hope this doesn't happen again, then. I don't think I'd them out again."

"Mommy!" cried Karen from the back seat, "I still didn't get to see Santa Claus!"


End file.
